Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
A satirical musical biopic follows the absurdly heightened life of parody legend Weird Al Yankovic.
The story
Young Alfred "Al" Yankovic becomes interested in parodying songs despite his father's disapproval. Al's mother secretly purchases an accordion for him, but his father destroys it when Al is caught at an illicit polka party, thus straining Al's relationship with his parents. Years later, an older Al is living with his roommates Steve, Jim, and Bermuda, and is constantly rejected in band auditions as an accordion player. While listening to "My Sharona" on the radio and fixing a bologna sandwich, Al is inspired to write "My Bologna". He sends the song to a local radio DJ, who puts it on the air immediately; he then goes to Scotti Brothers Records, where the brothers mock him, but are willing to reconsider if Al gains more experience.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows Al Yankovic's rise to fame as a parody artist. After finding success with "My Bologna" and "I Love Rocky Road," he is managed by Dr. Demento and adopts the stage name "Weird Al." He achieves multi-platinum success and is even featured by Oprah Winfrey. His career takes a turn when he begins writing original songs like "Eat It" and enters a complicated relationship with Madonna. After a near-fatal car accident, he creates "Like a Surgeon." The plot takes a surreal turn when Al is forced by the drug lord Pablo Escobar to perform in Colombia, where he eventually rescues Madonna and defeats the drug lord. The film concludes with a poignant reunion with his father, who reveals he was an excommunicated Amish man who secretly supported Al's career. Al performs his father's song, "Amish Paradise," before being tragically 'assassinated' by a henchman, followed by a post-credits scene featuring a zombified arm.
- First release year
- 2022
- Runtime (minutes)
- 108
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Eric Appel
- Writers
- Al Yankovic · writer; Eric Appel · writer
- Cast and characters
- Daniel Radcliffe · Yankovic; Evan Rachel Wood; Rainn Wilson; Toby Huss; Julianne Nicholson
- Genres
- biographical; musical; parody; satire
- Themes
- Identity; Artistic Integrity; Father-Son Relationships
- Tone and mood
- Satirical; Absurdist; Humorous
- Premise and plot tags
- Biopic Parody; Musical Comedy; Satire
- Source material / true-story basis
- Based on the life and career of Weird Al Yankovic.
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, who largely praised its screenplay, humor, and cast performances, particularly Daniel Radcliffe's turn.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 84% · scale: percentage · review count: 160; Metacritic · score: 70 · scale: 100 · review count: 41
- Awards and nominations
- Primetime Emmy Award · Outstanding Television Movie · Win; Primetime Emmy Award · Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie · Nomination; Primetime Emmy Award · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was based on a 2010 fake trailer for a satirical biopic.; Daniel Radcliffe learned to play the accordion for his role.; The film's budget was approximately $8 million.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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